First Loves
by K9Lasko
Summary: Secrets may be sexy, but sharing them with the right people is sexier. S12/E18 "Status Update" tag-ish drabble. Tim/Delilah; past-Tim/Tony.


**Inspired by S12/E18 "Status Update."** Sorta kinda tag. More drabble than short story. See! I'm capable of writing happy things!

Title: First Loves  
Rating: FR15 (for swearing and mentions of sex)  
Category: Romance, HAPPINESS AND UNICORNS AND RAINBOWS YAYYYYY  
Characters: Timothy McGee, Tony DiNozzo, Delilah Fielding  
Pairing(s): Tim/Delilah, Tim/Tony (past)

Summary: Secrets may be sexy, but sharing them with the right people is sexier.

**"First Loves"**

Tony had said that secrets were sexy, and Tim agreed, sort of, because Tony's biggest secret (Tim had to admit) was pretty damn sexy. Maybe Tony knew that, (and he probably did. This is _Tony_ we're talking about) but the furtive looks were telling. That smug grin. That "oh honey, c'mon" good humor. Teasing, yet supportive.

* * *

Tony DiNozzo was the first crush Tim ever had on a guy, and that was saying something as he'd never before entertained the option. But Tony had always been captivating in that chameleon-like "do you know me? I really think you don't" way, a guy with emotions and intentions that shifted and changed like kaleidescope colors. And you could never quite guess, could you, what was going on in that thick head - good or bad or indifferent.

That's not what Tim ever thought he preferred in a relationship, because he valued earnest good faith and straight forward honesty, not subterfuge and omission, and so many times Tony stood on the other side of that fence. After all, DiNozzo was the kind of liar who could look you straight in the face with the most heartfelt expression and say: "I'm not lying to you."

But being with Tony was so _fucking fun._ For an individual so buttoned up as himself - Mr. Timothy "Commitment, Honor, Duty, blah blah blah" McGee, traits nailed into him by his father - Tony was just a damn _good time._

And all Tim had to think about were the few times Tony'd had his hands on him, and the few times Tony'd kissed and licked that spot right under his jaw, and the few times Tony'd said with laughter befitting of this game they were playing: "Do I gotta do all the work here?"

Yeah. He'd think of those times and feel... what? Smitten?

Maybe. Yes...

Tony did do all the work, and Tim took a back seat and let it happen, because he had this uncanny feeling that it hadn't been Tony's first homoerotic rodeo. As much as it surprised him - blinded him, really - a lot of things started making sense after that.

It wasn't a "romantic" relationship at all, Tim denied. It was an emotionally deep friendship (like Mariana Trench deep, where all the creepy nightmarish fish live). A friendship with occasional bouts of physical affection. That's all...

"Bullshit," Tony would have said to that. "You totally _love_ me."

Great. Tim could predict Tony's words now.

* * *

When Delilah first came into Tim's life...

Well, things didn't change as much as they merely shifted. Tony gave his blessing with a wink and a nudge-nudge and a "What are you waiting for, McCassanova?"

It was weird, and the easiest non-break-up break-up he'd ever gone through.

What Tony had been giving Tim, and what Tony had been taking in return, was never meant to be permanent, and they both understood that, somehow, without needing to spell it out to each other.

Such was their friendship, Tony and Tim's.

* * *

Fast-forward to today. The here and the now.

Delilah was spending the night, voluntarily tasked with watching over Tim. They sat on the couch and stared at the television. Well, Delilah stared at the television, while absent-mindedly playing with his fingers, because Tim had his eyes shut, hoping to forget about the pounding beat assaulting his head.

Still woozy and painful after the nasty pistol-whipping that Malik asshole had given him, and with a big white bandage strapped ridiculously to his head, Tim decided to come clean about one small (huge) thing.

"About the whole secret thing," Tim started, eyes squinting open. "There's something..."

Delilah sighed. "Tim-"

"No. I want to tell you, because it's something important. Important to me," Tim said, as he persevered through doubt and hesitancy. "You see... Tony and I, we've uh- We've slept together. Before. A few times. Like, _you know_-"

Delilah squeezed his hand. "I get the picture."

"I mean, not while you and I were dating or anything," Tim amended hurriedly.

Rolling her eyes with an easy smile, she said, "Okay." But then she asked. "Does he know you're telling me this?"

Tim stayed quiet for a bit. He rubbed his face.

"Tim."

"Yeah," he finally answered. "He's okay with you knowing. It was just... important, and I thought you ought to know."

"Oh, Tim." She leaned over and kissed the side of his mouth. "First loves are like that."

Tim screwed up his eyebrows and said with a breathy laugh, "First love? Okay. Whatever you say."

"We have more than one first love, you know. Each one is different and special. And I hate to break it to you, macho man, but Tony DiNozzo is one of them."

He stared at her, a small frown on his face.

"It explains so much. I was starting to wonder..." Delilah laughed. "He actually told me he'd kick my ass, wheelchair or no wheelchair, if I flew off to Dubai again."

Tim groaned and covered his face.

"He's hilarious," she said.

"He's _ridiculous._"

"Hey." She nudged his ribs gently. "Thanks for sharing that. Means a lot."

"Yeah, well..."

They looked at each other, the TV light bouncing around on their faces.

"God, I love you," Tim blurted. "Like I really, really love you."

**THE END :)**


End file.
